Improvement in axle-skeins



Uturnn @parte amparar @risica lWlPROl/EMENT EN AXLEmSKElNS.

Specification forming part of LettersvPatent No. mllei, dated .Iunc 24, 18672.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Davis GRAY and JOSIAH GRAY, of Wayland, Steuben county,

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Skeins, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of an axle-skein embracing our im provement-s. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section through the same.

Our improvements relate to that class of axle-skeins known as the tubular skein,77 in which the wooden axle enters and is eompletely surrounded by the skein. Skeins of this description are made of cast-iron, brass, or steel plates bent in the form of a tube and welded or brazed on the Lipper surface. Ihose made of the latter material are considered superior to all others, owing to their being lighter, stronger, and more durable, and also from their ruiming with less friction in the cast-iron box than those made of other metals.

Various forms have, we are aware, been given to the tubular axle-skein, and among others that of nishing the inner end square or beveling it off, so as to form a projecting tongue on the under side. These skeins are generally confined to the axle by the hubbolt entering the end of the axle, or by one or more bolts passing in a transverse direction through the inner end of theskein and the axle, or by two bolts and a clasp or band. These modes of attaching the skein weaken the axle and render it liable to split or break at the-point the bolt enters or passes through it.

To remedy this defect, and attach the skein securely to the axle without weakening it or using other bolts or bands than those necessary to connect the different parts of the earriage, is the object of our improvement, which consists in making the skein of a caststeel plate with the inner end beveled off to form a projecting tongue on the under side, and sufficiently thin to yield readily to compres` sion, and then confining it to the axle by the same clips which attach the arms or reach to the axle.

In the accompanying drawings is represented anV axle to which askein embracing our improvements is attached, which consists of a thin plate of steel bent into a slightly-tapering cylindrical form and welded or brazed on the upper side.

To the outer or small end of the cylinder is welded a plug, A, on which a screw is cut for a nut to eontne' the wheel to the axle. At a proper distance from the outer end a ring, b, is welded to the skein, forming a collar for the inner bearing to the axle-box. The inner end of the skein is sloped from the up per to the under side, (and may be drawn down, if thought best,) and is thus prolonged on the under side some distance beyond the npper, in order to give increased support to the axle and. greater permanency to the attachment of the skein t-o the axle. The skein is then driven on the end of a wooden axle titted to receive it, and confined by the arm or reach-clip B, which is bent to conform to the axle just inside the 11e-entering` angle on the top of the skein. The sides of the clip exnbrace the side of the axle and also the side of the projecting tongue cf the skein, and the clip-bolts are also bent inward and pass through holes in the clip-plate C, which is also bent to conform to the under side of the projecting point of the skein, on which it bears. v

The clip isarranged on the axle so that the upper part bears on the wood just inside the re-entering angle of the skein, while the side kand bottom plate embrace the projecting tongue of the plate. In screwing up the clip the tongue of the skein is compressed and caused to bind closely tothe wood of the axle, by which means it is held securely to the axle without additional bolts or fastenings.

In fastening the skein to the axle by means of the clip the expense of additional bolts is saved, and the axle is not weakened by boltholes; and, moreover, the strain of the clipbolts causes the projecting end of the skein to spring and adapt itself closely to the wood ofthe axle7 thus giving great strength and per` manency tO the attachment of the skein to the arranged on the axle as to grasp and com axle. press the sides of the skein7 and thus hold it Having thus described our improvement in rmly to the axle. steel skeins, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a hollow steel axleskein constructed substantially as described, with the arm 01' reach-clip so constructed and DAVIS GRAY. JOSIAH GRAY. W'itnesses:

GILBERT TOTTEN, WASHINGTON TAG GART. 

